10% Happier with Dan Harris Feeling Stuck? Dull? Flat? Here's a Better Path to the "Good Life." | Shigehiro Oishi
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Oct 27, 2025 
Shigehiro Oishi, Marshall Field IV Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago, explores a different approach to living well. He argues that our fixation on happiness and meaning can be limiting and introduces 'psychological richness' as a richer path to fulfillment. Shige offers insights on cultivating curiosity, playfulness, and finding depth in everyday experiences. He shares practical tools for reframing adversities into empowering narratives and emphasizes the importance of small interactions for lasting joy. Dive in for a fresh perspective on the good life!
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Happiness As Life Satisfaction
- Happiness means life satisfaction: feeling comfortable, secure, and content with one’s life trajectory.
- It’s about frequency of small positive moments more than rare intense highs.
The Happiness Trap Explained
- The happiness trap: maximizing success often raises ambitions, canceling gains in happiness.
- Minimizing negative emotion also backfires because many negative events are random and unavoidable.
Choose Frequent Small Joys
- Prioritize frequent small joys like daily walks, coffee with friends, and regular contact with loved ones.
- Cultivate close relationships because they predict sustainable happiness.
